Sunset Romance
by littlehelliongirl
Summary: A sunset, Lily and James. What happens next? Please read!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I'd be rolling in cash not writing this crappy fanfic.

A/N: I'm just a newbie so please take it easy on me. Please leave a review. Appreciate it. This was also posted on another fanfic site.

**Sunset Romance**

Chapter 1:

Lovelorn stares and scalding rejection

It was a cold rainy day and the Marauders lounged about in front of the fireplace. James looked around the crowded common room, searching for a certain red-head. Finally his eyes landed on a corner where _she_ sat curled up in a chair. She skimmed through a book while absent-mindedly twirling loose strands of her brilliant fiery red hair around her finger. Her alluring emerald green eyes, fixed upon the book. She was so engrossed with her reading that she was oblivious to James Potter's longing stares and lovelorn sighs.

James was in love her ever since he laid his eyes on her. He was head-over-heels in love with the feisty beauty that is Lily Evans. She had everything he wanted in a girl; she was smart, gutsy, responsible, talented, beautiful, spunky, charismatic, and the list goes on and on. To James, she was the exact quintessence of perfection. Only problem was, Lily didn't really like him much, no, she _despises_ him. Sure, James was handsome with his extremely fit body (He was, of course, the star player of the Gryffindor Quidditch team), his charming hazel eyes and his boyish face but Lily overlooked that part since she thought of him as an arrogant, smug git who played pranks on unknowing people.

James stood up, dusted his robes, ruffled his messy jet black hair and strode over to Lily.

"Hello Evans" James grinned.

"What do you want Potter?" Lily said coldly, not even bothering to look up from her book.

"Go out with me?" James asked expectantly.

Lily looked up at him and said, "No."

"Please?" James pouted.

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with sugar on top?"

"No."

"Pretty, pretty please with sugar and ice cream on top?"

"I said No, Potter"

"Come on, Evans! I've asked you out every single day since first year."

Lily shut her book and stood up. She was a bit shorter than James. "I'd rather date the Giant Squid than go out with you."

"Come on! Just one date?"

"NO!"

"Why not?"

"Because you're an annoying prat." Lily went off in a huff, leaving James to watch her as she disappeared up the stairs to the Girls' Dormitory.

"Tough luck, mate." Sirius said patting James on the shoulder. "Why don't you ask one of the girls in the "James Potter Fan Club" out on a date?" He elbowed his best friend in the ribs.

"Padfoot, Lily Evans is the only girl for James Potter." James sighed as Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Oh don't be so morose, Prongs. Lily'll say yes, sooner or later." Remus said offering him a smile.

"I hope so, Moony."

Lily collapsed down on her bed, her face buried on her pillow.

"He is such an idiot." She yawned and rolled over on her side. She noticed something glittering on her bedside table.

"What's this?" she asked herself and took the red glittery box. "To Lily" the note had said and she untied the gold ribbon. Inside was a silver necklace. Lily slowly held it up to the moonlight and studied the pendant. It was an emerald shaped like a tear drop.

Lily couldn't imagine who would give it to her. She searched the box once more, looking for any clue that showed who it was from but was unlucky.

Lily lied down on her bed, thinking. She rolled over and was almost instantly enveloped by sleep and dreams of James Potter.

"Lily…I love you." The sun was setting. Lilly was standing behind a tall, gangly figure. She couldn't see his face nor can she distinguish his voice. She drew closer and next thing she knew, he was kissing her.

THUD.

"OW!" Lily found herself on the floor in the girls' dormitory.

"mmwahapnd?" Jenny asked groggily poking her head out from her curtains.

"I fell off my bed. Go back to sleep." Lily muttered as she stood up. She looked out of the window and saw the sun rising in the horizon. "It was just…a dream."

A/N: Well...that's it for the first chapter. Please review! Thanks!


	2. chapter 2

Sunset Romance

Chapter 2:

A war of hearts and minds

"Good Morrow, Milady." James grinned as he bowed down in front of Lily who merely rolled her eyes. The Great Hall was empty apart from a few students who woke up early.

James sat down beside Lily as Sirius, Remus and Peter joined them.

"So Evans, what's up?" James grabbed a piece of toast and started nibbling on it.

Lily ignored him and put some milk on her cereal.

"Hey Lily, where did you get that necklace? It's awesome!" asked Janet who was sitting opposite her.

"Someone gave it to me." She smiled, fiddling with the emerald pendant.

"It really brings out the color of your eyes."

James stole a sidelong look at the pendant that hung around Lily's neck and veiled a small smile.

The Marauders were sitting in the bleachers, waiting for the Gryffindor team's quidditch practice to start. As James was a seeker, the Marauders made it a habit to watch the Gryffindor team practice (and make fun of James).

James stepped into the field, in his scarlet quidditch robes holding his beloved Star Rocket 21 broomstick.

As James kicked off, the wind blew in his unkempt hair. Maneuvering his broom near the stands, he saw a flash of red hair. It was Lily.

"Wotcher Evans! Came all the way here to see me?" James called out making Lily perk an eyebrow.

"Don't flatter yourself, Potter, I did not come here to see you. Jenny dragged me along." Lily crossed her arms and seems to have found her shoe much more interesting than James.  
"Testy, aren't we?" He furrowed his brow. "Eh, at least you're here. Won't complain about that." James flashed another of his charming smile and zoomed off to join the rest of the team.

"Give the boy a break Lily." Said Jenny but Lily just gave her a glare.

Lily watched James swerving around the other players, in search of the snitch. James had that glint in his hazel eyes whenever he was in the air doing what he loved the most. Quidditch. Lily won't admit it but James was a great seeker. He had lightning fast reflexes and a perfectly toned body.

James suddenly broke into a dive. His body perfectly aligned with the handle of his broom, his eyes full of determination, his hair windswept and for a moment Lily was thinking to herself how handsome James was.

Handsome?!

What are you saying? That's James Potter!

The obnoxious prat, the big pain in the ass!

The hot boy who's been madly in love with you.

NO! He is not hot!

He most certainly is!

Snap out of it Lily!

Lily snapped back to reality just as James pulled up the dive, the Golden Snitch struggling between his fingers. James had caught her eye and sent an incredibly cute grin. Lily felt her face go red but chose to avert her eyes from his handsome face.

Lily sat in front of the fire, thinking. She had received yet again another gift, a box of Honeydukes caramel-filled chocolate hearts on her bed, just that afternoon. Like the necklace, it didn't have any acknowledgement of the sender. Lily was getting really curious and was deep in thought when a certain raven haired, bespectacled boy brought her back to reality.

"Hello Lily-Flower!" James appeared out of nowhere and made Lily jump.

"Potter!" She growled. "I told you not to call me that!"

"I just wanted to bask in your beauty, Lilikins." James sat on the couch in front of her. Lily threw him a glare. "Man, you're pretty" James sighed making Lily turn red.

"Sod off, Potter!" Lily's eyes burned with anger and ran off to the girls' dormitory.

James sighed. He knew Lily hated his guts but he just couldn't let her go. The two months of summer vacation was pure torture. He ached to see her, to hold her in his arms, to be with her. That's why this school year; he was determined to start anew with Lily. James leaned back into the couch and stared into the fire. It reminded him of Lily's hair making him smile. In every waking moment, Lily was always on his mind.

"Stupid Potter can't even leave me to think in peace. Argh!" Lily screamed into her pillow.

"Why don't you just go out with him?" Harriet asked as she sat down on the bed next to Lily's.

Lily rolled over and sat up. An incredulous look on her face, "Go out with him? I'd never! Not with an arrogant bully like him!"

"Oh come on Lily, we know you like him too." Jenny smiled slyly.

"No I don't!" Lily felt herself go red.

"Yeeeaaah riiiiiiight."

"If you say so, Lily"

"Honestly! I thought you guys were on my side!"

"Lily, James likes you and you like him. Admit it!" Jenny smirked and got into her four poster.

"I do not like him!" Lily said stubbornly.

"She's definitely in denial." Harriet whispered to Jenny.

"I heard that!" Lily glared at her two best friends

"Lily, we know for a fact that you've been dreaming about him. You keep saying his name in your sleep," Jenny's eyes sparkled knowingly. Lily turned the same shade as her hair. Janet and Jenny smirked.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:  
The Beginning and the End

"Lily? Lily?" jenny yelled as Janet waved a hand in front of Lily's face. "LILY!!!"

"Oh!" The red head jumped. "Sorry guys. I...er...spaced out." She muttered.

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and they were sitting underneath a tree near the lake.

"I think I know why." Jenny beamed and jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. Sure enough, there they were, on the other side of the lake, the infamous marauders.

Lily turned red as Jenny and Janet smirked at her.

"No! I was just thinking about….my…uh…my…charms essay! Yeah! My charms essay." She said. The two other girls rolled their eyes.

"Lily, you're hopeless!"

Meanwhile on the other side of the lake, James absent-mindedly played with the golden snitch he nicked earlier. He almost let the snitch slip away from him when he happened to notice his beloved red-head chatting animatedly with her friends. He sighed sadly and watched the girl of his dreams standing up and walking farther away from him and into the castle. Maybe that's just the way it is. Maybe he's destined to simply love her from afar, forever entwined to the vision of the one he loves most walking away from him, eternally dreaming of a romance story that was never going to happen, constantly suffering from nostalgia and incessantly badgered by the melancholic truth. But still, there's no harm in trying one last time…..

Lily opened the door to the empty dormitory, thinking of finishing some schoolwork when she saw something on her bed. It was a single, long-stemmed red rose with a note.

I'll be waiting at the Astronomy Tower.

As soon as she read the note, she sped out the door. Her mind was racing through the possibilities as to who this person is. Then, something clicked in her mind.

It was him.

The necklace, the chocolates, the rose; all these gifts came from him. Why didn't I realize it before now?

Lily's heart was beating furiously against her rib cage as she reached the door to the tower. She stood motionless, her hand on the cold metal of the doorknob. 

James was leaning on the railing of the astronomy tower. He was wringing his hands because of the cold and the fear that was building up in his chest.

She's not going to come, is she?

James sighed as he watched the sunset. He was unaware of the opening and closing of the wooden door. Unaware of the stranger who was now currently watching his silhouette against the orange and pink sky.

"You know – one loves the sunset when one is so sad." A voice came from behind James, startling him.

"Lily…"

The red-head walked up to where James was standing. In silence, they watched the sun go down the horizon.

"I love sunsets." James said abruptly.

"You sad?"

"Aye."

"And, pray tell, why is Mr. Potter feeling melancholic?"

"Well, you see…" Lily made a sound of acknowledgment to show that she was listening and urged him to continue. "Mr. Potter is currently lamenting on the fact that maybe his beloved redheaded damsel doesn't feel the same way about him."  
There was an awkward silence as the pair gazed at the stars that started to appear in the endless night sky.

"Has Mr. Potter asked this redheaded damsel how she feels about him?" Lily asked.

"I'm afraid not. But by the looks of it, it might end up in rejection."

"And why is that?"

"Every time Mr. Potter opens his mouth or pulls an innocent prank, the feisty damsel seems to have the terrible urge to bite his head off." James smirked.

"Well, Mr. Potter was probably doing something stupid." Lily argued indignantly

"But Mr. Potter was only doing it to catch the damsel's attention."

"But Mr. Potter already caught the damsel's attention." James stared at Lily, unsure of what he just heard. "From the very first time the damsel laid eyes on Mr. Potter, she was already smitten with him. She discreetly watched Mr. Potter's every move, struggling to fight her adoration for the charming lad. But no matter what she does, no matter how much she degrades him and treats him badly, he always comes back to her with a necklace, a box of chocolates, a rose, sometimes even with a witty remark or some sweet random ramblings that makes her heart melt and she falls deeper in love. The damsel just said that Mr. Potter was an egoistic moron because she wanted to keep her feelings clandestine. I guess it doesn't matter now because I'm standing here in front of you, pouring my heart out." Even if the moon and the stars were the only sources of light, James could see that Lily had turned scarlet. James chuckled softly. 

"Lily…" James gently placed a hand on her cheek. "You mean the world to me and finding out that you feel the same way about me is sheer bliss." James held her hand and pulled her closer.

"James…"

"I love you Lily Evans….Always have and forever will."

Under the stars and the moon, enveloped by the caring arms of the eventide, they kissed.

And everything was perfect.

A/N: The line "You know--one loves the sunset when one is so sad" is from the book, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Its a really good book. Anyway...this is the last chapter! Hope you guys liked it. hehehe! please review!!! pleeeeeease? pretty please? you know you want to!


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